Category: Review

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Born Pretty Store Review — UR Sugar Adhesive Nail Vinyls Heart Pattern Nail Art item # 39723 


Good morning & happy Friday! Today I’m sharing another review of a fun item from Born Pretty Store. This time I’m reviewing some sugar adhesive heart pattern nail vinyls (item #39723). These vinyls comes with two different styles — the swirly hearts & the multiple hearts. Let’s consider this part one as I’m just reviewing the swirly hearts. 

For this manicure, I used:

  • Base Coat: L’Oréal All in One
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Quo by ORLY Color Amp’d Paparazzi 
  • Layla Cosmetics Hologram Effect Mercury Twilight
  • UR Sugar Adhesive Nail Vinyls Heart Pattern item # 39723 

I’ve used a lot of nail vinyls over the last little while & I have to say these are definitely high up on the list. They are easy to peel off their backing & stick to the nail–easily adjustable but not so flimsy that they just stick together & crumple. Also they stick really, really well. I had zero issues with colour bleeding underneath. Also, you get two stencils in one with the heart swirls, which means you can do 20 nails total! I also really like that they have the useful little tab for pulling up your vinyl. 

All in all, I really like these vinyls. They’re easy to peel off & apply, they don’t bleed & they just work really well. Using nail vinyls can be difficult sometimes, but these make it easy! I also like the fact you get 2 different designs per sheet which can be used separately or combined together. I can definitely see myself using these again & would say anyone who is curious about trying out nail vinyls should give them a shot! 

& for fun—a shot of this holo manicure in action. 

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If you’re interested in ordering these nail vinyls (or something else) from Born Pretty Store feel free to use my discount code COFFK31 to save 10% off any regular price items! I’ve been ordering from them for years, & I love the wide variety of products you can find for all your nail polish addict needs! 

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Polka Dots! Featuring Essie’s New Speed Setter Top Coat

You know, I don’t think there is anything that I enjoy more (aside from my daily caffeine) than discovering a new quick dry top coat to make my life easier. While some people are top coat loyalists, I am always on the look out for what’s new! & if you go back through the archives I’ve been varied in my top coat love, but one brand I’ve always seem to return to is Essie. So when I saw they had a brand new quick dry top coat coming out–touting 60 second dry times!–I knew that I was going to need to give it a try. 

A few weeks back I found it hiding on the shelves at my local pharmacy, & I quickly snatched it up so I could see if it was worth all the hype. Now that I’ve used it on quite a few manicures, I felt safe giving it an honest review!

For this manicure, I used:

  • Base Coat: L’Oréal All In One
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Essie Peach Daiquiri
  • Essie Butler Please
  • Small dotting tool from Bundle Monster 

I have to say the Speed Setter dries impressively fast. You won’t be applying nail vinyls after 60 seconds, but there is definitely a serious increase in dry time as opposed to Essie’s Gel Setter or Good To Go. Within 15-20 minutes my nails were dry enough to apply nail vinyls without having to worry about ruining my base colour. & when you have limited time to get your nails dry, that comes in handy! It also adds a good amount of shine to your manicure. As far as lasting time, I rarely leave on a manicure for more than 2-3 days but it held up with minimal tip wear.  

After a few weeks of using this top coat, I’m impressed enough to buy a second bottle. Unlike a lot of quick dry top coats, I haven’t noticed it thickening up towards the end of the bottle which is a plus. Nothing worse then trying to scrap those last few sticky drops of top coat out of the bottom of the bottle. But my only complaint with Essie’s new Speed Setter is the fact it smears nail art if you don’t apply it carefully (or, sometimes, even if you do.) But with all the pluses, I’m willing to overlook the smearing issue. Having to wait an extra couple minutes to apply my top coat still doesn’t take as long over all as some other to coats I’ve used in the past. As long as it keeps impressing me, I will definitely keep using it as my #1 top coat of choice. 

Have you tried Essie’s new Speed Setter top coat yet? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below! & if you haven’t given it a try yet, let me know which top coat is your holy grail top coat of choice. 

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Born Pretty Store Review — Origami Pattern Stamping Plate Harunouta L040 item #39127



Happy Monday! Today I have a new manicure featuring another stamping plate so kindly sent to me for review from Born Pretty Store. This time, I’m reviewing the Origami Pattern Manicure Stamping Plate Harunouta L040 item #39127. This plate called to me because of all the gorgeous origami shapes. & the arrival of the plate was just in time that I could wear these nails to my sister in laws baby shower this past weekend! 


For this manicure, I used: 

  • Base Coat: L’Oréal All in One
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • Revlon Gel Envy To The Chapel
  • Essie Chillato
  • Ardene Fluffy Tutu
  • Born Pretty Store Black Stamping polish (from this set)
  • Origami Pattern Stamping Plate Harunouta L040 item #39127
  • Born Pretty Store Clear Jelly Stamper

I think I’m finally getting the hang of stamping. The images are so delicate that you really have to move quickly (or the stamping polish dries) but I’m figuring it out! I’ve used Essence Back to Black for stamping before & it worked really well but my bottle was all used up so I’m going to get a new bottle & try stamping with that to see how it does. I definitely had more practice using this plate, so it went a lot easier. 

I love how adorable all of these images are! You have the hanging pictures, the individual pictures & then the cool geometric cloud images. So many different ideas & manicures that you can create! Like I mentioned, I wore these for a baby shower but I could see this being perfect for lots of occasions (or just for fun everyday). 

I still consider myself a stamping newbie, so while this plate was a little difficult for me after a little fiddling & practice I think I came up with a very pretty manicure! This plate could definitely be suitable for someone still new to stamping, as well as those pros out there I hope to someday join!

If you’re interested in ordering this plate (or something else) from Born Pretty Store feel free to use my discount code COFFK31 to save 10% off any regular price items! I’ve been ordering from them for years, & I love the wide variety of products you can find for all your nail polish addict needs! 

Stay tuned because I still have 2 more Born Pretty Store reviews coming your way! 

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Born Pretty Store Review — Potted Plant Stamping Plate L036 item #38420

Good morning! I was recently sent some awesome items from Born Pretty Store for review & I can’t wait to show off what I received. Today I’m reviewing this Potted Plant Harunouta Stamping plate L036 (item #38420) featuring my current garden obsession–cacti! 🌵

As soon as I saw this plate, I knew I needed it! I’ve been trying to get into stamping more, even though I find it a tad challenging. This cute plate comes in it’s own little envelope, sealed with blue plastic to protect it from scratches. For this manicure, I was inspired by some outfits I recently bought for my son, & thought this plate would be perfect to recreate the look! 

For this manicure I used:

  • Base Coat: L’Oréal All in One
  • Top Coat: Essie Speed Setter
  • OPI That’s Hula-rious 
  • OPI Care to Danse
  • Born Pretty Store Black Stamping polish (from this set) 
  • Harunouta Potted Garden stamping plate L036 —item #38420
  • Born Pretty Clear Jelly Stamper 

For stamping, I used the Born Pretty Store brand stamping polish which I received as part of another set for review. I am still relatively new to this stamping thing, so it took me a little bit to get the hang of stamping. My advice–do not try to do this at midnight when you’re sleep deprived. I tried a couple different looks–including filling in the design. I also tried a couple different stampers in my collection but decided on my clear Jelly stamper (also from Born Pretty.) It took me a couple tries to figure out how to pick up the images perfectly, but as you can see when it finally worked for me, the images were perfect. 

For this particular design, I stamped both the cactus pattern on my middle finger & the stripes on my pinky. The black stamping polish was definitely the best for picking up the images (I tested with some of my other blacks & couldn’t pick anything up). You definitely have to move quick though–if you wait too long, you won’t pick up anything! But even with all the work, the end result is gorgeous. & I couldn’t stop staring at my nails. 

All in all, I love this stamping plate. For me the cactus is what caught my eye (because cactus! 🌵) but their are so many cute designs to choose from depending on the occasion. I can definitely see myself using this plate for a while slew of occasions! You can definitely expect to the cute images from this plate pop up again! 

If you’re interested in ordering this plate (or something else) from Born Pretty Store feel free to use my discount code COFFK31 to save 10% off any regular price items! I’ve been ordering from them for years, & I love the wide variety of products you can find for all your nail polish addict needs! 

Stay tuned. I have a few more items coming out to share! 

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My Nail Care Routine featuring Mont Bleu 

It’s been a really long time since I posted a nail care post, & since I’ve recently incorporated some new products I’m in love with, I thought I would share what I do for nail care. For me, I like to do my full nail care routine once a week but I obviously file & moisturizer more often than that. 

Recently I was sent some products from Mont Bleu to review. They produce Czech made crystal nail files & other nail care products. For review, I received a three piece crystal nail set, crystal cuticle pusher & cuticle scissors. I’ve always been a major fan of crystal nail files, but it wasn’t until I started using the Mont Bleu products I realized what a difference good quality product can have! 

For my nail care routine, after removing my nail polish with nail polish remover I always start off by giving my nails a good file. If I only need to tidy up my nails a little I use the medium sized filed from Mont Bleu. If I need to trim any considerable length from my nails, I prefer to use the larger size. (The mini sized file from the set I keep in my purse for potential nail emergencies!) I’ve used crystal nail files for years, but these are a step above. I find they file so easily & smoothly & leave my tips feeling much smoother. I’ve been using these files for over a month now, & they have made a huge difference in the health of my nails. They don’t leave any cracks at my tips which I’ve found can happen with other files I’ve used. Also when it comes to filing down significant length, these files do it in less than half the time of other files I’ve used. 

Next step, I used a good cuticle remover. Right now I’m loving Butter London Melt Away which I find is gentle but effective. I start by applying it along my cuticles, & then push back my cuticles gently using the Mont Bleu glass cuticle pusher before rinsing them off. This was my first time using a glass cuticle pusher & I was nervous because glass ( & the edges feel kind of sharp to the touch) but this pusher is surprisingly gentle. It doesn’t take much pressure at all to push back your cuticles, unlike using my previous rubber pusher. Also I was happy to see it cleaned & washed easily without being ruined by the product. Next, I always make sure to apply cuticle oil after using remover & pushing them back. 

Next I like to use a good hand/cuticle scrub on my nails. My Mom gave me this Mary Kay scrub years ago, & I’m still using it. I tend to concentrate on my nails/cuticles with it so I don’t end up using a lot of product. (If you have any recommendations for some good cuticle scrubs, let me know!) 

Next step of my routine is to clip off any loose skin/potential hang nails. I don’t snip my actual cuticles, but I do make sure to clip off any spots that are potential problem areas. These cuticle scissors are great because they’re sharp & precise. They’re also the perfect scissors for applying nail decals, which I’ll have a post showing soon! 

Final step? Moisturizer moisturizer moisturizer! The bottle I’m showing above is a mixture of a whole slew of creams I like including Vaseline Healthy Hands & Nails, Vaseline Intensive Care Advance Care, & even some of my sons baby cream! I make sure to always have cream on me or near me, and apply it as much as possible. 

So that’s my nail care routine! Like I said I only do the full routine about once a week but I make sure to file my nails a few times a week, & moisturize & oil my nails daily. 

If you’re looking for some quality nail care products, you should definitely check out the products offered by Mont Bleu. I thought that all crystal nail files were the same, but after using these products I know now that is definitely not true! In the month I’ve added these products to my routine, there has been a great change in my nails. On top of that, the product itself is just gorgeous! You can check out Mont Bleu by clicking the links below:

As well, you can use the code BLOG to save 20% off your purchases at their E-shop! 

What is your current nail care routine must have? Let me know in the comments below! 

*PR SAMPLE* Some of these items were sent to me for review. However, all opinions are my own.